Next in our Cidermaker Series, it’s David Crawford. Dave’s been at Virtue a bit over five years, and if you’re standing in Cider House 1, you’ll see a lot of what he’s hand his hands in. Not just cider, but the large harvest table, and the reclaimed wood wall in our Tap Room.

Dave’s background is varied, like many of us at Virtue, and he spent time in construction, manufacturing, and cooking. He came to Virtue by happenstance. “I actually didn't even apply for a job here. I was working for a guy who was making signs for New Holland Brewing,” he says. “I built the deck at [Virtue founder] Greg's house in Fennville. He told me they were looking for help at Virtue Cider and offered me a position helping with packaging such as filling and cleaning kegs and working the bottling line. It's been an adventure. I love it. There's no end to the work.”

He says he loves the variety in cidermaking. “There are never two days alike. There is always something new happening.”

“I spent a lot of time in restaurants, where I learned there's always something to be done. At the cider house, we are constantly wearing things out, breaking things. I fit in there. I fix things. There's no end in sight. From the farm where apples are grown, to the harvesting, to the packaging and marketing. I've picked apples, pressed apples, fermented apples. Bottled apples. There's no such thing as a typical day.”

We raise a glass of your favorite cider of the moment, Maple Mitten, Dave! Thanks for all the hard work and great ciders.

To learn more about all the woodworking projects Dave’s done for us at Virtue, check out this Q&A we did with him a couple years ago.